I think the importance of the funeral procession was much greater in previous generations. I can remember my grandparents speaking about people their age passing and the processions they had. My impression is that the procession is like a "parade" to pay one last tribute to the deceased.

In my state, and for all the funerals I have been to, we drove in a procession with headlights on and a flag provided by the funeral home, passing through red lights if the lead car had a green light.

I know, right? I live in CO, and I didn't even realize the flags were a thing until I was visiting on the east coast and infuriated someone by stopping at a red light in the middle of a procession. I don't understand why it would be a good idea to greatly increase the risk of a car accident just so everyone can go together.

I have to ask, what was scumbag about obeying the law and expecting others to? I understand that it's a hard day for a lot of people but the rest of the world still keeps going and I think it's BS we're expected to stop in the first place. In my state there is no legal authority to a funeral line so they can't take over local roads. Rednecks think they do but I don't recognize this long line of sad people as authority to stop me from doing what I need to do that day. I say fuck anyone who thinks the world should slow down for them. In life or death.

I'm a Mortician in California. We half to stop at all lights and stop signs. I've never heard of or seen a procession allowed to go through a red light or through a stop sign. True they drive slow but they aren't above the law. Any one from other states or countries where it may be different?

Pennsylvania. As long as the light was green when the lead car went through, the rest of the procession can follow.

Source: "§ 3107. Drivers in funeral processions.
(a) General rule.--The driver of a vehicle which is being driven in a funeral procession may:
(1) Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of this part.
(2) Proceed past a red signal indication or stop sign if the lead vehicle in the procession started through the intersection while the signal indicator was green or, in the case of a stop sign, the lead vehicle first came to a complete stop before proceeding through the intersection."

B. Except for an authorized emergency or law enforcement vehicle making use of audible or visual signals, or when directed otherwise by a law enforcement officer, pedestrians and operators of all motor vehicles shall yield the right-of-way to each vehicle participating in a funeral procession. However, the operator of a motor vehicle may pass a funeral procession which is traveling in the right lane of a divided highway, multiple-lane highway, or interstate. If the procession has a police escort, whenever the lead vehicle in a funeral procession lawfully enters an intersection, the remainder of the vehicles in the procession may continue to follow through the intersection notwithstanding any signals from traffic control devices. A motor vehicle participating in a funeral procession shall not leave the procession while it is traveling unless specifically permitted to do so by a law enforcement officer or by making a right turn out of the procession. No motor vehicle which leaves a funeral procession shall be permitted to rejoin the procession. The operator of each vehicle participating in a funeral procession shall exercise due care to avoid colliding with any other vehicle or pedestrian upon the roadway.

The funeral procession has the right of way. In my area, 99.999999% of processions I see have an escort by the sheriff's office. Meaning, they have the absolute right of way, unless you're driving an emergency vehicle in an emergency and need to cut through.

C. No person shall operate a vehicle in a funeral procession unless the headlights of such vehicle are lighted and its emergency lights are flashing.

This is how you know what cars are in the procession.

It's just a respect thing. The people in a procession want to get to the funeral and get through the day, and they want to stay together. They don't want to have to worry about traffic or getting caught up and being late for the funeral.

You can wait 60 seconds for a procession to pass. There's no reason to be a fucking dick. I'm sorry you've never experienced a death/funeral before.

You know, it almost sounds like you're calling me a dick with that last sentence. I'm going to go over California law on this. I've seen so many cops pull over cars in funeral processions for following the line or a number of other things.

In Wisconsin you get a police escort and they try to block off all the intersections, when they can. Sometimes they take you through town and send you on your way. Most people realize that a train of cars following a hearse is a funeral procession and let them go through.

If there isn't a police escort with the procession, then breaking the law by not stopping at an intersection is unacceptable. The majority, if not all, police departments would be more than cooperative to escort a funeral procession given adequate notice. I'm sorry to sound blunt... But losing a loved one doesn't give you the right to break the law and possibly endanger you and other people. That procession should have been escorted by a police officer.

Whether it's legal for the procession to go depends on the state. In Pennsylvania, the procession can go as long as the lead car went during a green light.

Source: "§ 3107. Drivers in funeral processions.
(a) General rule.--The driver of a vehicle which is being driven in a funeral procession may:
(1) Park or stand irrespective of the provisions of this part.
(2) Proceed past a red signal indication or stop sign if the lead vehicle in the procession started through the intersection while the signal indicator was green or, in the case of a stop sign, the lead vehicle first came to a complete stop before proceeding through the intersection."

I had a similar situation on an escalator in Grand Central Station. There were people stopped on both sides, rather than the "stand on the right, walk on the left" rule that escalator etiquette dictates.

Since I was in a rush, I decided to loudly remind everyone stopped in front of me of that particular rule, and as I finished speaking, only then did I notice that the person holding up the left side of the line was an elderly blind man and his dog.

One time saw a funeral procession doing this in Charlotte. Lots of drivers were honking until finally, a group of bikers (possibly an MC as they all had matching cuts) came and blocked the entire intersection so that NO ONE could move until the procession was finished.

Jesus Christ, Reddit. Is it really so important that you get to your fucking bar, brothel or wherever the fuck you're going, 30 seconds faster, instead of giving a little leeway to some people who just lost someone they loved?

Seriously. I get that nobody should feel like the world should stop for them, blah blah entitlement blah blah, but how does that take away your responsibility to be a god damn human being? Have some basic decency for god's sake. I'm not saying it's okay for a procession to stop traffic for an unreasonable amount of time, but it's worse for you all to act like toddlers who just had your binkies taken away.